Kelly Mill Middle retains AVID National Demonstration School status

Kelly Mill Middle School has once again received AVID National Demonstration School status. Kelly Mill is one of only two schools in the state to receive this honor and joins 150 other AVID Demonstration Schools across the nation.

AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a college readiness system for elementary through higher education that is designed to increase school wide learning and performance. AVID National Demonstration Schools are exemplary models of the program and demonstrate the very best AVID methodologies and instructional strategies.

Officials from AVID visited Kelly Mill as part of the school’s AVID Demonstration Schools “revalidation” process. Evaluators praised Kelly Mill as a center of learning for AVID best practices and noted the school’s “college going culture.” The evaluators also noted the “positive feeling you get when you walk the halls of Kelly Mill” and gave rave reviews on the school’s use of data, systematic approaches to decrease achievement gaps, sustainability of AVID and site team members.

“This recertification is a reflection of our school’s dedication to the ideals of AVID,” said Principal Mark Sims. “Kelly Mill’s success with AVID is in large part due to the efforts of AVID Coordinator Katie Patterson, whose passion for AVID and her students are second to none.”

Schools and districts interested in implementing AVID or improving their AVID program can arrange to visit Kelly Mill.